Although television is the king of the device in the living room, the truth is that most people do not get the most out of television and limit themselves to watching DTT, Smart TV interface for streaming services and a basic configuration. Without going any further, here is one of the old and still underutilized functions, probably because it is little known: Picture-in-Picture (or PiP) mode, multi-view or multi-window.

PiP functionality, as the name suggests and as you have probably experienced on other devices such as tablets or mobile phones, View two or more apps or video sources simultaneously on the same screenfor example, continue watching a YouTube video while on Twitter. If you are not sure how it works and your Smart TV is compatible with this multi-viewing mode, we invite you to continue reading.

Using PiP mode on Smart TV

Essentially, the idea of ​​PiP mode is to have a floating window to do or watch two things at once (although there are televisions that can split their screens in half). Below we list its three main uses:

• multitasking. So, while you can continue watching your favorite series while looking at social networks, you can also watch that series when you have a second screen with the game that interests you or for other purposes, such as looking at the internet or social networks.
• Share your TV. If you live with someone and want to watch different things one day, for example if you want to watch one match and your partner watch another match, or if you want to directly watch another sports broadcast happening at the same time, you can choose to play both at the same time. at the same time.
• Additional content. There are applications with integrated PiP mode, which are very convenient, for example, for viewing YouTube video on the one hand and comments on the other.
• Extra information on the go. I often have doubts when I see something, and thanks to this function, it is possible to solve them without having to wait or resort to another device. For example, who the actor or actress in that series is and what they have done before, who directed it, what is talked about about them on social networks…

How to enable PiP mode on Smart TV

First of all, there are two differences: As we mentioned above, there are applications whose PiP function is integrated and its calling is integrated into the interface, but Different operating systems and manufacturers may or may not integrate these functions as well.. Of course, the way and form of this may change.

Below is the status of PiP mode from the main manufacturers and how to activate it, if available:

Picture-in-Picture Mode on Sony Smart TV

• sony Picture-in-Picture (PiP) (which uses Android TV) integrated Picture and Picture (P&P) or Double Image with Android Nougat, preserving it until 2021 televisions, but has since said goodbye to this useful function. In my case we have an old model (from 2019) and we activated it by tapping the ‘Action menu’ button on the remote control and in the menu that appears on the screen in the ‘Image and sound’ section we tap ‘Picture’.
• LG It has multi-viewing mode in two modes. On webOS 3.0 or 3.5, press Home via the Magic Control remote and from there tap Multiview in the launcher. In Web OS 2.0, you’ll also need to tap Pip using the Magic Control and Home button, but then from within My Programs.
• Philips Integrates Picture-in-Picture mode after configuration. First you need to tap the Menu button on the remote and select preferences (‘Display Preferences’) in Setup. Next we will choose the PiP or dual screen format.
• SAMSUNG Multi-View Mode has been integrated into most of its Smart TVs for several years now. There are several ways to activate it, depending on the model. So most current versions have a Multi-View button on their remotes, but also the option to access the main menu, and in ‘Settings’ we look for ‘PiP’ to enable this (you can see this in this YouTube tutorial).

Generally standard procedure, open the configuration menu via the remote control and look for the PiP option, Multi View, Multi View, Picture in Picture, direct or in screen options. Once inside, you can choose which sources to display at the same time: different applications, HDMI-connected devices, live broadcasts…

Cover | Xataka

at Xataka Smart Home | “Backlight” on your TV: what is it, how it differs from “brightness” and how to adjust it correctly